by Renae Simpson RN, BSN, WOCN, CWS
25. May 2011 11:42
Spring is here! As the weather is getting warmer I find myself spending more time outside enjoying the warmth and the sunshine. While this feels great there are some precautions that we need to take as we enjoy this pleasure. A few years ago a suntan was considered a “healthy” look. But as we learn more about the skin, we know a suntan is actually the result of damage to the skin.
Excessive sun exposure can lead to faster loss of skin function over our lifetime and has been linked to skin cancer.
So how can you still enjoy the outdoors and protect yourself? Here are a few helpful hints:
- Avoid direct sunlight during the peak hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
- Wear a hat and protective clothing to help protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays
- Don’t count on a cloudy day or darker skin tone to protect you from sun damage
- Liberal and frequent use of sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher
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